Pope says science cannot explain meaning of life

The Pope stepped into the debate over God and the universe today - saying that
science cannot explain the ''ultimate meaning'' of human existence.

The Pope told an audience of religious leaders from different faiths that the human and natural sciences provide us with an ''invaluable understanding'' of aspects of our existence.

But he said the disciplines cannot satisfy the ''fundamental'' question about why we exist.

''They cannot satisfy the deepest longings of the human heart, they cannot fully explain to us our origin and our destiny, why and for what purpose we exist, nor indeed can they provide us with an exhaustive answer to the question 'Why is there something rather than nothing?','' he told his audience at St Mary's University College in Twickenham, south west London.

The Pope's message comes after Professor Stephen Hawking argued in his new book that God did not create the universe.

In his speech, the Pope argued that genuine religious belief leads people beyond "present utility" towards the transcendent.